This morning I embarked on painting one of my beloved scenes around the Chelsea Embankment. A walk along the Chelsea Embankment is one of my best walks in London and it's always great to paint a place one loves.

Adebanji painting the MV Bolgen and other boats along Cadogan Pier, Chelsea Embankment

Here in this post I have decided to share some "stage shots" of the painting in progress. It's not a step by step procedure but just a good way of seeing how I go about these pieces using the "inside-out" technique of painting shape by shape, from the inside of the painting till it spreads all over to fill up the surface.

1. Ready to go, The Canvas board is given a warm wash of Burnt Sienna, this was already done in the studio with acrylic.

2. The very important grid lines and diagonals-this helps me position the main features exactly where I want them

3. With some careful strokes laid with some precision but with the mind of an impressionist, I sketch and paint at the same time, working on the boring buildings in the background first, and then coming closer to the boats.

4. I think here-I had finally got the hang of the buildings and then I began to gradually come lower into the middle area, where most of the action takes place.

5. At this stage I got the first few strokes of the water in, and a few reflections, the water keeps changing, it's always better when it is still.

6. I am really deep into it now, working on the reflections and trying my best to nail the right colour of the murky River Thames on a grey day.

7. And finally- it's details and pulling the whole piece together, I hadn't made up my mind on whether to stop-then the rain came to my rescue and that was it for the day!

Hope you enjoyed this-I always have fun looking over the palettes of other artists-it's always a treat!

SPECIAL QUOTE"The tide was in and the creek glassy, so I met the Mayor of Kingsbridge, who was off to paint his boat and a man who quizzed me- not the first time- on the build quality of my box easel! He was a joiner and was redesigning one-god, did I get excited! We exchanged emails and I never heard from him again!-(Peter Brown on one of his experiences while painting "Salcombe down from Southpool Creek")

Thursday, September 13, 2012

This was put together by MGL MEDIA and I hope you catch some inspiration from it! I'm not going to say much, just watch and enjoy the next 8 minutes! MGL MEDIA also have a blog which can be accessed by clicking HERE

SPECIAL QUOTE"For our purposes we will define a habit as the intersection of knowledge, skill and desire. Knowledge is the theoretical paradigm, the what to do and the why. Skill is the how to do. And the desire is the motivation, the want to do. In order to make something a habit in our lives, we have to have all three."-Stephen R. Covey-The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Saturday, September 08, 2012

These are some current sketches...the power my of my observation started to slack a bit, I suddenly didn't do as much sketches as before and I could immediately see the difference and the strain and lack of flow.
So, nothing beats the constant day to day practice. I thank God for the opportunity to keep these sketches going- they really help to sharpen my drawing skills.

All sketches are done with a Bic Ball point Pen and a Number 75 Cool Grey Tom Bow Dual Wash Pen in Book-150g/m.

Sept 003-Adebanji Alade's Sketchbook- These three guys are homeless and once Charing Cross Station opens at 4,30am they always take this place, it's an everyday thing.

The method I adopt on public transport changes from time to time. Now I just see myself as a sketch addict-That's what I tell people and that sums up what I do.

Sept 001-Adebanji Alade's Sketchbook

Sept 002- Adebanji Alade's Sketchbook- it was an early morning bus ride and this guy was just moving all over the place. He must have been wrecked as he was far far away....

Sept 004- Adebanji Alade's sketchbook- I was having a video recording on the train and I wanted to show it was still possible to sketch an incomplete face and still get some character, isn't it amazing what eyes can do!

Sept 005-Adebanji Alade's Sketchbook

Sept 006=Adebanji Alade's Sketchbook

Sept 007-This Asian Lady was right beside me and she never for once looked into my sketchbook to see if I was sketching her.

Sept 008=Adebanji Alade's Sketchbook

Sept 009-Adebanji Alade's Sketchbook

Sept 010-Adebanji Alade's Sketchbook

Sept 011-Adebanji Alade's Sketchbook

Sept 012- Adebanji Alade's Sketchbook- As mentioned earlier these guys always occupy this space when Charing Cross Station opens at 4.30Am. Apparently one of the guys was missing on the day I sketched this one.

Sept 013-Adebanji Alade's Sketchbook- This woman was totally lost in thought , looking out of the window.

SPECIAL QUOTE"Approach your subject in all humility and reverence-make yourself highly sensitive to its beauty"-Hawthorne

A majority of the proceeds from the sale of the sketches will go
directly to Urban Sketchers to support their educational programs such
as the annual Sketching Symposium and the Urban Sketchers Workshops
Program. The remaining proceeds will support the Ackland Art Museum.

I contibuted 3 sketches for the exhibition and they were mainly based on monuments and statues in London.

The Official Olympic Time Counter, Trafalgar Square, London

The Sketch of The Official Olympic Time Counter at 116 days before the Olympics

Adebanji sketching The Official Olympic Time Counter at 116 days before the Olympics

The scene ofThe Official Olympic Time Counter at 116 days before the Olympics

DOCUMENTARY : Adebanji Alade- The Addictive Sketcher

Some of my works for SALE

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WHAT INSPIRES ME TO KEEP SKETCHING

"Drawing is everything. When I was sixteen, I made over 400 drawings during that winter and spring. I drew mostly with a 2B pencil on typewriter paper. I drew during every spare moment. I’m heartened when I see your sketchbooks and see the way you’re always drawing at the Concept workshops. You remind me of me. When I was teaching university, I was disheartened by students who hadn’t paid their drawing dues, for unless you practice, you simply don’t know how to make lovely lines."-William Whitaker"Drawing is the basis of everything. All the way through the painting you must be questioning the drawing, right up to the very end. Otherwise you get the drawing right and fill it in with colour. As long as you get the effect you want, that's the important thing. You can use a piece of rag, a sable brush, a hoghair brush or a knife - it doesn't matter what."

PLEIN AIR

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Socrates on Brazil and their failure in the 2010 World Cup

"Brazilians are very creative and the way this team was, it was not like that".

"It was very predictable - we don't do things correctly like Europeans, we like to improvise.

"Football is an art and players should be allowed to show creativity. If the coach gives freedom to the players to play the way they know how, they can do it.

"If [painters] Vincent van Gogh and Edgar Degas had known when they were doing their work the level of recognition that they were going to have, they would not have done them the same. You have to enjoy doing the art and not think 'will I win?'".

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About Me

I am a little bloke with a big heart. I love the LORD cos he made me what I am today. I have a wonderful wife Ruth and a budding painter boy JOSH! He is 7 and a little girl who is 3!
I love sketching the human face, especially the people I meet from day to day, people I may never meet again!
So I sieze the opportunity, it's something that keeps me loving the place we all share.